Beyza Binnur Dönmez
06 August 2026•Update: 06 August 2026
UN human rights experts on Thursday condemned recent US measures against Cuba, urging Washington to lift sanctions and warning they are worsening the island's humanitarian crisis.
The experts said in a statement that the sanctions, including expanded restrictions targeting Cuba's energy sector announced July 23, have further hampered fuel imports at a time when the country is facing acute shortages and has recently experienced its third major nationwide blackout.
"The humanitarian consequences are already unfolding into a full-blown crisis, threatening the rights to health, to life, to food and to development," they said, following reports that uncollected waste is accumulating in parts of Havana, increasing the risk of disease.
According to the experts, repeated blackouts have disrupted health care services, while UN agencies in Cuba have warned of growing food insecurity, shortages of medicines and other essential goods, as well as reduced cancer treatment capacity.
They urged the international community and civil society to act swiftly to prevent what they described as a "silent Gaza" from unfolding in Cuba.
The experts argued that the US sanctions violate international law and form part of a broader strategy aimed at changing Cuba's political system.
"The US Government must cease all threats and hostile acts against Cuba's sovereignty and revoke all measures it has imposed on the country that stand contrary to international law," they said, calling on the UN Security Council and General Assembly to urgently address the issue.
